Cleaning device.



A. H. SMTH.

CLE/WSNS DEVICE.

wmm'rmu man sfP'r. a.

HHB.

Patented Mm'. l2", NMS

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR H. SMITH, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR -TO DOMESTIC VACUUM i CLEANER COMPANY, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0F MASSA- CHUSETTS.

To au wlw/ml u may concern f vBe it known that I, ARTHUR H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Cleaning Device, of 'which thel following is a specification. l

The present invention relates to apparatus for removing dustA from carpets and for other like purposes, the object being to provide an improved form of combination vacuum cleaner or dust extractor and brush sweeper in a single machine in a simplep .cheap and practical manner.

,Hithertoit has been proposed to combine with a carpet sweeper of the well known type a vacuum or suction device attached to the handle of the machine and operated by hand, or to place a rotary brush in the nozzle opening of the vacuum cleaning device, and it has also been proposed to combine with a dust suction device a brush operated frictionally from the Hoor wheels of the machine and it is to vthis type of machine that the present invention relates.

'l According to the present invention I com bine a rotary brush with a vacuum 'cleaning Y machine in suc-h manner that the former can be4 readily removed or rendered inoperative without in any vway a-l'ecting the use or operation of the vacuum machine.

One embodiment of my invention will now be described in detail in connection with the accompanying drawing Figure 1 of which represents a vacuum cleaner of known con- .struction provided with a brush sweeper on .its under` side, according to this invention landV Fig. 2 of which is a fragmentary tom plan.

The apparatus comprlsesaJ vcasing A having a dust box B and bellows cc'mnpartment bot- C, the bellows c being mounted in this construction on the top of the box B, with, the interior of which they communicate through valve openings b. Y

.In front the casing is provided with a removable "nozzle D, the upper opening of which communicates with a bagb in the dust box B. The casing is 'shown as supported at the `front on an adjustable central roller E, andv at the rear on two floor wheels F which operate the bellows c by means of crank shaft f and rods f connected to'rods c' secured to the bellows. As the wheels revolve, when the apparatus is pushed along Specification of Letters' Patent.

CLEANING DEVICE.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

Application filed September 3, 1913; Serial No. 787,994,

the floor by means of a handle G, the bellows will be operated to produce a partial vacuum in the box B and draw in air and dust through the nozzle D in a well known manner.

Behind the nozzle'D I provide a sweeper brush-H to gat-her upany dust which may have escaped being drawn in by the. nozzle D. This brush is mounted in a' casing H', the bottom part or" which is constituted by two floors or trays one on either Side of the brush H which projects downward slightly beyond them, like an, ordinary carpet sweeper, the ioors being preferably hinged so asto facilitate emptying of the dust. This casing has flanges 7i adapted to slide in corresponding guides ft2 secured to the under side of the box E, if desired, but I prefer to make it stationary.

The ends of the axie upon which the brush is `mounted or formed are provided with wheelsjk3 adapted to roll on the ground and so operate the brush. l

The brush axle H2 projects through suitable openings in the side walls of the casing H4 and has mounted. upon its ends driving'wheels ha so that these wheels lie` in the same, or approximately the same, longitudinal vertical plane as the wheels F. The shaft H3, or an extension thereof, projects-beyond the wheels h3 and is carried in brackets J, piv

oted to the sides of the casingA at J in a horizontal plane below that in which the axle H2- is situated. Thcs, if the brackets J are rocked about their pivots `J the wheels will be raised out of contact with the floor with which they are Anormally in driving Contact.

To facilitate this movement of the wheels 7L yI secure to the brackets J at the points a-lever K or handle extending across the. back of the machine, so that by slightly depressing or. raising the lever K the wheels h3 will 'be moved into or out of contact with thel floor. A bent spring catch L is arranged on the side of the casing H to retain the lever K in. one or other of its adjusted posi# tions.

, In operation, the machine is assed over the carpet or other surface to be c eaned, and the dust is drawn through the nozzle'I-I into the bag b' by the bellows' c operated from` the floor wheels' F, while any dust which escapes the nozzle D is swept up by the brush H and deposited in the trays M M'.

If, for any reason, it is not desired to use the brush in conjunction with the vacuum i device, it canL be'instantly thrownout of 'action, by pressing the lever K down by hand or foot.

lNhile I have described my invention partieularly with. reference to one form of vacuum cleaner, it is to be understood thatl the invention is not limited to the combination or. adaptation of a rotary sweeper Vto l machinesy of that type.

Although I have'illustrated and described a'speeific form of the invention, I am aware of the fact that modifications can be made therein by any person 4skilled in the art Without departing from the scope of the irlthe vention as expressed in the.y claims. There i fore I do not Wish to be limitedto all the details of' construction herein shown and described, hut'whatl do Claim isf- 1..-The combination with a horizontal main casing, a support, and rollers for sup' porting the ends `of the casing, of a brush sweepercoinprising a low horizontal auxiliar bottoni ofthe main casi g,a rotary brush carried by said auxiliary casing, Arolli ers'for operating th'e h ruslny and 'means for sito adjusting said rollers into and out of con- 'ta-et with the: surface `on which the first ,named rollers and support are supported.

2.- The combinatidnrwith a complet-epneumatic cleaner comprising a main caslng, a

support, and rollers for supporting the end of the easing, of an independently operable @brush sweeper located under the bottom of` the main casing, and comprising a loW flat horizontalA casing,l a rotary brush, dustpans adjacent `to the brush, rollers, independent '-,to render therel `operative or inoperative-` so# j and nozzle, a transverse rotary lbrushcarof the firstnamed rollers, fbi* operating the brush,- anrl means for adjusting the brush and' brush operating `rollers up andy down Without; atte-ating the operativeness of the pneumatic cleaner.

3, In a cleaner, thecombination with a mein casing, rollers for supporting one end- 'of thecasinggand a nozzle at the other end of thecasing of an auxiliary casing' located under themain casing between said rollers ried by the auxiliary casing, rollers located under the main-casing, near the first named rollers and adapted to engage the surface tobecleaned for yrotating' the brush, means casing located under and attached tov raised from it.. r

said auxiliary casi-ng, a lpair of rollersfor,

operatin the brush, and means for 4positively' a justing said rollers into two polsi'- tion's, in one of which they are in Contact with the surface to be cleaned, and in the other of which they are out of contact there' with.

5. The combination with a main casing, and rollers for supportingone end'of the mam casing, of an auxiliary-casing located under said main casing,r near said rollers, a

vbrush-'carried by said auxiliary casing, a

pair -of rollers journaled on said auxiliary casing and .adapted to engage the surface to be cleaned for the purpose of operating the brush, a pivoted frame on which said brush and rollers are journaled, and means for adjusting said frame about its pivot into two positions, in one l o r'v which the brushv and rollers are in Contact with the surface to be cleanedI and i-n the other of which they vare 6. A cleaner having -a nozzle at one end andiwheels 'at the other, a horizontal casing between them, and an auxiliary cleaner conA nected to and supported by the bottomA `of said casing between theiwheels and nozzle and having'a cleaning element adapted 4to be lowered and raised to render it operative and inoperative independently of the elevation of the nozzle and held in either'position.

A ycleaning .dericek having a I horizontal l maln casing supported at its iront and rearends, and provided with a casingv on the bottom thereof between the points atwhich theJ main'casing is supported, said second casing having'a vertically adjustable cleaningelement 'carried thereby. `In testimony whereof I 'have hereunto set lmy hand, in the presenceof two subscribing Wltnesses. l

Witneescs: a 'Ammin' E. Far,

C. Fomuisa Wesson .y

ioo

ARTHUR H. SMITH. i 

